Friday, July 01, 2011

Muskegon announces '11-12 roster

The Muskegon Lumberjacks have announced their roster for the 2011-12 United States Hockey League season.

Today marks the deadline for USHL clubs to submit their 25-man active roster and their 14-man affiliate list. The affiliate list was to be comprised of six players with a 1995 birthdate, six with a 1994 birthdate and two with a 1993 birthdate.

Jacks head coach Kevin Patrick is excited to have 12 players returning with USHL experience. Eleven of said players had significant experience last season, logging at least 10 games with the Jacks. Add in a much larger talent pool taking part in the team’s recent tryout camp, and Patrick is quite satisfied with the team’s lists.

“The depth in our camp was better than it was a year ago,” Patrick said. “It made for some tough decisions.

“Who will be the next Ryan Misiak or Matt Berry remains to be seen, but there are a lot of players in our organization who are ready to step to the forefront.”

Here is the Jacks’ 25-man active roster:

Forwards:

* Travis Belohrad (5-foot-10, 180 pounds; 1/13/91; hometown: Brighton, Colo.): Belohrad amassed 34 points on 18 goals (tied for second on the team) and 16 assists for the Jacks during the 2010-11 regular season, and piled on with a goal and four assists during the Clark Cup Playoffs.Joseph Cox (6-0, 170; 1/7/94; Chelsea, Mich.): Cox amassed 40 points (16g-24a) with Compuware’s AAA Midget Major team last season. He served as captain of the Team USA U-17 squad that took gold in the Five-Nations Tournament in Huttwil, Switzerland, last summer. Cox is committed to Michigan State University.* Matt DeBlouw (6-0, 165; 9/17/93; Chesterfield, Mich.): After posting six points (2g-4a) during the 2010-11 regular season, DeBlouw broke out with eight points (3g-5a) and a team-best +6 plus/minus rating in the Jacks’ six playoff games. DeBlouw is committed to Michigan State University for 2012.* Lance Fredrickson (6-0, 175; 1/1/92; Spring Lake, Mich.): Fredrickson logged 16 games with the Lumberjacks last season, during which he posted four assists. The gritty forward posted 11 points (4g-7a) in 17 games with Compuware’s AAA Midget Major squad. Fredrickson is committed to Miami University.Tyler Heinonen (6-0, 190; 5/8/93; Delano, Minn.): Heinonen set the goal-scoring record (109) at Delano-Rock High School as a junior before stockpiling 46 goals in his senior season.Josh Henke (5-10, 192; 5/17/94; Trenton, Mich.): Henke amassed 48 points (24g-24a) and 94 PIM in 37 games with Victory Honda’s AAA Midget Major squadDakota Klecha (5-10, 157): Klecha tied for the team lead in points with 50 for Wichita Falls of the North American Hockey League last season. He also led the team and finished second in the league with 248 PIM. The Jacks selected Klecha with the 21st overall pick of the 2011 USHL Entry DraftRyan Lomberg (5-10, 178; 12/9/94; Richmond Hill, Ontario): The Jacks first selection and the fifth overall in the 2011 USHL Entry Draft* Jordan Masters (5-11, 150; 4/30/94; Rochester, NY): Masters racked up 11 points (4g-7a) in 49 games in the 2010-11 regular season and scored a goal during the Clark Cup Playoffs.Myles McCauley (6-2, 180; 4/8/91; Sterling Heights, Mich.): McCauley has played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and skated with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Peterborough Petes last season.* Mike McNicholas (5-10, 175; 3/23/94; El Segundo, Calif.): McNicholas got a cup of coffee with the Jacks, skating one game in Ann Arbor last season. He amassed 46 points (12g-34a) in 40 games with Victory Honda’s AAA Midget Major team last season.* Mike Moran (6-6, 203; 9/16/93; Ann Arbor, Mich.): Best known for his bone-rattling body checks, Moran posted 11 points (6g-5a) during the 2010-11 regular season.Tayler Munson (6-1, 185; 3/2/93; Fairbanks, Alaska): Munson racked up 48 points (18g-30a) in 53 regular-season games with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League last season and thrived during the team’s run at the Robertson Cup.Max Shuart (6-1, 185; 6/27/94; Northville, Mich.): After logging 10 games with the Jacks in the regular season of the 2010-11 campaign, Shuart recently turned heads during the Jacks’ tryout camp, posting a five-point game (3g-2a) during the first of the two all-star games.* Casey Thrush (6-1, 175; 5/5/92; Easton, Md.): Thrush racked up 28 points (10g-18a) and finished second on the team with a +8 plus/minus rating during the 2010-11 regular season and scored two goals during the Clark Cup Playoffs. Thrush is committed to the University of New Hampshire for 2012.

Defensemen:

Ryan Bullock (6-0, 180; 2/5/93; Eden Prairie, Minn.): Bullock is a graduate of Minneapolis' prestigious Blake School and is committed to play Division-I college hockey for the Dartmouth Big Green. He is a physical, offensive defenseman.* Carter Foguth (6-3, 215; 2/13/92; Fenton, Mich.): A rock-steady shutdown defenseman, Foguth notched nine points (1g-8a) and led the club with a +9 plus/minus rating during the 2010-11 regular season. He notched an assist during the playoffs, during which he boasted a +3 plus/minus rating.Christian Pomarico (6-1, 190; 11/11/92; Simsbury, Conn.): Pomarico is a left-handed defenseman who cut his teeth with the Wellington Dukes of the OJHL before making the Jacks’ 25-man roster via the recent tryout camp.Kevin Schulze (5-9, 155; 4/29/93; White Bear Lake, Minn.): A left-handed, playmaking defenseman, Schulze played for Hill-Murray High School last season and was selected by the Jacks in the fourth round (51st overall) during the 2011 USHL Entry Draft.Nick Seeler (6-2, 185; 6/3/93; Eden Prairie, Minn.): An imposing two-way defenseman, Seeler was recently selected by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round of the 2011 National Hockey League Draft. He opted to forego a chance to play for the Jacks in the 2010-11 season and helped his Eden Prairie High School team win a Minnesota state hockey title.Alex Smith (5-11, 173; 1/31/95; Brownstown, Mich.): Smith was the Jacks’ first selection and the fifth pick overall in the 2011 USHL Futures Draft. Smith is a gritty two-way defenseman who notched 12 points (4g-8a) in 38 games with Honeybaked’s AAA Midget Major team last season.* Travis Walsh (5-11, 184; 6/4/93; Dimondale, Mich.): Walsh compiled 17 points (1g-16a) during the regular season, and scored a shootout goal that made waves in the global media, including being featured on several ESPN programs.* Mark Yanis (6-2, 195; 5/26/94; Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.): Yanis had five points (1g-4a) during the 2010-11 regular season and added an assist during the postseason. The massive defenseman recently committed to Penn State University of 2012.

Goaltenders:

* Paul Berrafato (5-11, 178; 6/9/93; Williamsville, NY): Berrafato went 9-10-4 in his rookie USHL season in 2010-11 and posted three shutouts within a single calendar month. He finished with a 3.61 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.* Joel Vienneau (6-4, 185; 1/18/92; Hearst, Ontario): Vienneau appeared in 39 games in his rookie USHL season and posted a 15-18-4 record to go along with a 3.70 GAA and a .889 save percentage. Vienneau shined in the postseason, going 3-3 with a shutout, a 3.10 GAA and a .910 save percentage during the Clark Cup Playoffs.